According to the United Nations (UN) , out of 7,000 languages that are spoken in the world, around 2,680 are in danger of disappearing . “With this in mind, the United Nations declared 2019 The Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL2019) in order to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit the people who speak these languages, but also for others to appreciate the important contribution they make to our world’s rich cultural diversity.”
According to an inter-censal population survey conducted by the INEGI in 2015, more than 25 million people in Mexico self-identify as indigenous , though only 7.4 million, roughly 6.5% of the total, speak at least one indigenous language . Against this background, the Digital Citizenship Laboratory , in collaboration with Manuvo , has developed three mobile phone apps to promote the learning and use of some of the country’s main indigenous languages.
1- Vamos a aprender náhuatl (Let’s Learn Náhuatl) : This app uses illustrations and audio clips to bring users closer to Nahuas. It teaches some of the most basic greetings and courtesy expressions, as well as numbers, colors, animals, and food. The app is now available for Android and iOS.
Taken from the app
2- Vamos a aprender mixteco (Let’s Learn Mixtec) : This app teaches the Ñuu Davi dialect of the Mixtec language, spoken in the Santa Inés de Zaragoza municipality in Oaxaca. It features 20 sections that allow users to learn how to greet, write, and count. It also shows the community’s culture and geographical composition. Vamos a aprender mixteco is available for Android and iOS.
Taken from the app
3- Vamos a aprender purépecha (Let’s Learn Purépecha) : This app aims to bring users closer to the Purépecha culture and the indigenous community’s daily activities through fun exercises and illustrations. This app is also available for Android and iOS.
Taken from the app
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